India’s nutraceutical and dietary supplement manufacturing sector is undergoing a rapid evolution. Once a modest extension of pharmaceutical production, the contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) in this space are now emerging as innovation drivers in their own right. Demand for health supplements is booming – India’s nutraceutical market reached about $18 billion in 2023 and is growing at a robust 13.5% annual rate, according to Invest India. Significant investments are flowing into advanced production capabilities with the government and industry aiming to build a $100 billion nutraceutical industry by 2047. This growth has been particularly favourable for specialised CMOs, with India’s nutraceutical contract manufacturing services market projected to more than double from roughly $13.3 billion in 2023 to $33.25 billion by 2030 (a ~14% CAGR).
A notable trend is the shift toward high-tech formulation and dosage formats. Modern consumers increasingly seek convenient, enjoyable supplement forms – from gummies and functional drinks to novel capsules – pushing manufacturers to innovate. Cutting-edge formulation technologies like liposomal delivery, microencapsulation, and AI-driven personalization are gaining traction. Investors and brands are partnering with research-driven CMOs to leverage these advanced facilities and expertise. The result is an industry moving beyond basic pills and powders, into an era of sophisticated nutraceutical products tailored for better efficacy and consumer appeal.
Zeon Lifesciences: A Legacy CMO Reinventing Itself
Zeon Lifesciences, founded in 1987 by Suresh Garg, stands as India’s oldest nutraceutical-dedicated CMO and has been a bellwether for the industry’s evolution. Starting as a small contract manufacturer over three decades ago, Zeon built its reputation formulating vitamins, herbal supplements, and functional foods for major brands. Over the years, it has become the manufacturing force behind well-known products like Danone’s protein supplement Protinex and Himalaya’s herbal Liv.52 liver tonic, reflecting its relevance in both Indian and international markets. The company’s state-of-the-art campus in Paonta Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, integrates multiple production units under one roof to maximize efficiency and quality control.
To stay ahead, Zeon has continually invested in innovation. In 2023 it adopted advanced “Intelicaps” encapsulation technology to improve probiotic product efficacy, encapsulating live bacteria in protective coatings to ensure they survive and reach the gut. “We are elated to unveil our revolutionary accomplishments in probiotic manufacturing, framing new standards for effectiveness,” Suresh Garg remarked when introducing the Intelicaps tech. By embracing such cutting-edge techniques, Zeon established itself as a pioneer in high-tech nutraceutical manufacturing.
Now, Zeon is expanding into functional beverages and live probiotics. At the recent Nutrify Today C-Suite Sumflex 2025 summit in Mumbai – a major industry leadership event – Managing Director Suresh Garg announced a new facility dedicated to producing functional juice-based nutraceuticals and probiotic supplements. This innovative facility will enable Zeon to manufacture ready-to-drink functional juices, fortified shots, and advanced probiotic formulations under GMP conditions. “We’re investing in the future of wellness products by bringing functional beverages and probiotics into our fold,” Garg said at the event, emphasizing that the expansion makes Zeon an end-to-end contract manufacturer across virtually all supplement dosage forms. “With this new capability, we can deliver cutting-edge products in every format – from tablets and capsules to gummies and now functional drinks – all under one roof,” he noted, positioning Zeon as one of the few fully integrated players in the Indian market. By offering comprehensive dosage-form coverage, Zeon aims to give nutraceutical brands a one-stop solution for product development and production, whether they require traditional pills or novel delivery formats.
Projected growth of India’s nutraceutical contract manufacturing services market (2018–2030) in USD millions.
Crius Lifesciences: Pushing Boundaries with Gummies and Chewing Gums
While legacy firms expand, newer entrants like Crius Lifesciences are carving a niche through specialization in innovative supplement formats. Founded by Subbarao Chinni (widely known as Subba Rao), Crius has quickly become synonymous with high-tech formulations. The company operates a dedicated nutraceutical manufacturing facility and has developed expertise in a spectrum of novel dosage forms – including vegan softgel capsules, effervescent and bi-layer tablets, “mouth-melt” powders, gummies and even nutraceutical chewing gums. Crius prides itself on several industry firsts, having pioneered the world’s first oil-infused (liquid-filled) gummies as well as India’s first vegetarian softgel capsules. Its commitment to innovation and quality has earned it a client base spanning over 30 countries, including highly regulated markets.
At the Sumflex 2025 summit, Crius Lifesciences drew buzz by unveiling two novel delivery products: liquid-filled nutraceutical gummies and supplement-infused chewing gums. These offerings push the envelope on consumer-friendly supplement delivery. The liquid-filled gummy – essentially a gummy vitamin with a stable oil-based nutrient center – allows integration of up to 500 mg of oil-based actives per gummy, dramatically improving the delivery of fat-soluble nutrients. Such gummies can enhance bioavailability for ingredients like omega-3 oils or curcumin that are better absorbed with fats. Meanwhile, the chewing gum format embeds vitamins or herbal extracts into a gum base, turning a candy-like chew into a dose of nutrition. This could appeal to on-the-go consumers and niche use-cases (for example, caffeine or vitamin gums for quick energy).
“Our new oil-infused gummies and nutraceutical chewing gums showcase the advanced formulation capabilities we’ve developed,” said Subba Rao Chinni, Managing Director of Crius, during the product launch. “By leveraging cutting-edge delivery technologies, we’re able to create novel supplement experiences that boost efficacy as well as consumer convenience.” He explained that these high-tech formats are designed to improve nutrient stability and absorption while making supplementation more enjoyable. Industry observers note that such formats are timely – the global nutraceutical gummies market is projected to see substantial growth as consumers favor taste and convenience. Crius’s investments in R&D and specialized production (for example, custom machinery to produce liquid-center gummies) position it as a frontrunner in this trend. The company’s broader portfolio – from enteric-coated softgels to rapid-dissolving tablets – underscores how Indian CMOs are moving up the value chain by offering sophisticated products once available only from Western manufacturers.
Sumflex 2025: A Showcase of CMO Innovation and Ambition
This year’s Nutrify Today C-Suite Sumflex 2025 summit served as a central platform highlighting these transformations in India’s supplement manufacturing landscape. Held in Mumbai in May, the two-day event convened top executives, investors, and policymakers in nutraceuticals to strategize on scaling the industry “beyond linear growth” and towards global leadership. Described as a “precision-led gathering,” Sumflex has quickly become a hotbed of product launches and partnership announcements in the sector. In fact, the summit has evolved into a prestigious launchpad – even major players like Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories and Nestlé Health Science chose Sumflex 2025 to introduce a new metabolic health supplement (Celevida Diafiber) to a targeted audience. This reflects how influential the platform has become for unveiling innovations.
Both Zeon Lifesciences and Crius Lifesciences leveraged the Sumflex stage to announce their new capabilities, signaling the momentum in the CMO segment. The presence of industry veterans like Suresh Garg alongside dynamic entrepreneurs like Subba Rao at the summit symbolized a fusion of experience and innovation driving India’s nutraceutical manufacturing forward. “SumFlex was not just an event – it was a declaration of intent,” observed Nutrify Today’s founder Amit Srivastava, highlighting the collective ambition on display. Themes of innovation, investment, and collaboration were prominent, aligned with India’s vision to become the “nutrition innovation capital” of the world. For contract manufacturers, the message was clear: simply being a low-cost producer is no longer enough; the future lies in offering R&D-backed, end-to-end solutions and groundbreaking products.
Integrated Manufacturers Poised for Global Role
As the Indian supplement CMO industry matures, companies are increasingly integrating capabilities across all dosage forms, investing in quality systems, and courting global clients. The evolution of firms like Zeon and Crius exemplifies this trajectory – from basic pill production to turnkey nutraceutical innovation partners. Their expansions into formats like functional juices, probiotic nutraceuticals, gummies, and medicinal chewing gums indicate how India’s contract manufacturers are matching trends in consumer preferences and technology.
Industry experts remain optimistic that India’s high-tech manufacturing push will pay dividends. The confluence of strong domestic demand, policy support, and CMO innovation is expected to solidify India’s position as both the “factory” and increasingly the laboratory for the world’s nutraceutical needs. With a double-digit growth rate and new investments pouring in, the Indian supplement CMO sector appears set to ride the wellness wave, not just in volume, but in moving up the value chain. If the developments spotlighted at Sumflex 2025 are any indication, the coming years will see Indian CMOs launching even more advanced nutraceutical products and potentially clinching a larger share of the global market for high-quality, innovative health supplements. In the words of Suresh Garg, “We’re not just making vitamins – we’re building an integrated innovation ecosystem for nutrition.”
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